Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 600,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.

Geography Both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked. Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range Geographic coordinates: 40 30 N, 47 30 E Area: total: 86,600 sq kmland: 86,100 sq kmwater: 500 sq kmnote: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991Size comparison: slightly smaller than Maine

Communications Telephones in use: 1.254 million (2007) Cellular Phones in use: 4.3 million (2007) Telephone system: general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 15 main lines per 100 persons is low; mobile-cellular penetration is increasing and is currently about 50 telephones per 100 personsdomestic: fixed-line telephony and a broad range of other telecom services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications monopoly and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in the mobile-cellular market with three providers in 2006; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivaninternational: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007) Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998) Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997) Internet country code: .az Internet hosts: 6,995 (2008) Internet users: 1.036 million (2007)

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2008) Military service age and obligation: men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 2,278,888females age 16-49: 2,291,770 (2008 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 1,696,167females age 16-49: 1,923,556 (2008 est.)